Toy ferry boat



Oct- 12 1926.

w. A. 'rHoMPsoN TOY FERRY BOAT Filed Feb. 9, 1926 V.. .y Hmmm "i mvENToR W ,7. Tlaojgosovr/ ATroRNaYs Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. THOMPSON, 0F PORT GAMBLE, WASHINGTON.

TOY FERRY BOAT.

Application led February 9, 1926. Serial No. 87,121.

This invention relates to improvements in toys, and an object of the invention is to provide a toy made in the shape of a ferry boat, the design being such that numerous small vehicles can be carried, thereby simulating an actual boat, the toy being provided with casters so that it may be rolled about on the floor.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved toy ferry boat.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View illustrating the mounting of one of the casters.

The ferry boat comprises a base 1 which consists of a rectangular board. A pair of sides 2 are nailed or otherwise secured to the longitudinal edges oi the base. The sides include elongated portions 3 which eX- tend to the extremities of the base, these extensions serving the purpose of side rails or r guards for those portions of the ferry boat which do not come under cover. The ends are closed by gates 4f. These are hinged at 5, and are beveled at 6 along one edge so that the diminutive vehicles 7 (Fig. 1) may be rolled up onto the base when the gates are let down.

It is not essential that the hinge arrangement of the gates be such that they may be let down to the floor.. According to the showing the gates may be extented horizontally in substantial alignment with the base 1, should the user of the toy desire to run the vehicles onto the base as previously suggested, it will be necessary to place a thick board or the like onto the floor so that the gates can be let down thereupon. In Figure 1 use is made of a run-way 8 down which the vehicles are permitted to coast into the ferry boat. A top 9 provides a cover V for the central part of the ferry boat. The

top is applied to the upper edges of the sides 2. The top carries a superstructure 10 which may be painted or otherwise decorated to present the appearance of cabin windows and steering wheel houses. There is one of the latter at each end of the superstructure as indicated at 11. The steering wheel houses are built a little higher than the superstructure in order to distinguish therefrom. The construction resembles a double-ended ferry boat which travels back and forth without necessarily turning around. A smokestack 1,2 and flag pole 13 complete the uppervpart of the toy.

Secured to the underside of the base 1 are battens 14. Casters 15 are applied to the battens. Suitable metallic sockets 1G are inserted through the battens and partly into the base (Fig. 3) in order to receive the stems of the casters. These casters, in practice, are ordinary swivel casters such as are commonly used on furniture.

A child can get considerable amusement from loading and unloading the toy ferry boat. Figure 1 illustrates the load as consisting of numerous diminutive vehicles 7. These vehicles can be run out into the open parts of the ferry boat and lined up very `much on the order of the actual ferry boat.

The hinges 5 may be made sufficiently stiff so that the gate 4 will stay in place when raised, but in the absence of stiff hingesit would be an obvious expedient to use a hook and eye for the purpose.

The casters 15 permit moving the toy about on the floor. The casters are easily taken from their sockets 16 whereupon the ferry boat can be placed in the water and pushed about from place to place. Although the sides 2 'are left undecorated in the drawing, they may be painted to show windows or the like, or they may even be cut out to make the windows. The material of which the toy is constructed is subject to variation. The use of wood for the base 1 has been mentioned. It is possible to make the boat of metal either in whole or in part.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved toy ferry boat is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifica-tions and change-s may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim l 1. A toy comprising a base., sides applied to two parallel edges of the base, elongated portions forming parts of the sides extending tothe extremities of the base and simulatingv guard rails, a top applied to said sides covering the. central portion of the base and leaving those portions adjacent to said extensions open, gates hinged upon the base from side to side of the extensions, permitting enclosing the space upon the base, battens carried by the base, sockets carrie-d by the battens, and casters inserted in the sockets for transportation of the toy lli over a floor, said casters beingl removable from the sockets permitting` Hoa-ting; the toy upon the water.

2. A toy ferry boat comprising' a rectan-` gular base, sides applied to the longitudinal edges ot' the base including elongated portions extending to the extremities of tlie base and serving` as side guard rails, gates hinged upon the transverse edges of the base being capable of swingingdown or up to t'orrn ecintinuations of said guard rails, a

`and flagstali Completing' said f-;upei'structure,

Casters by which the toy is rendered mobile, and batt'ens secured to the base to which the stems of the casters are applied. 

